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Mancini eyes me, and I raise my chin slightly, intrigued to hear how he responds. Because if it’s not what I want to hear, I won’t hesitate to hammer the nail in so Giuliana understands where she belongs.
“The contract has been signed, Giuliana. And I’d appreciate it if you and Luxtyn got along. She is your sister, after all, which means you need to treat her with the same respect you expect her to treat you with.”
Giuliana lets out a huff as she folds her arms in front of her and throws herself back in her seat like a sulking child that didn’t get her way.
Luxtyn starts to pull her hand from me, but I catch her fingers with mine, holding them. Not wanting to let them go.
Her eyes drift to mine, and I give her a wink. A small smilebreaks out on her face, and my lips form the same, proud of my wife for sticking up for herself.
“I’m a little less than impressed with the lack of rock on your finger, but I’m glad to see the joining of our families finally,” Mancini says, interrupting the moment.
With an unimpressed look, I bring my gaze up to his smirking one. “That wedding band on my wife’s finger is a family heirloom. One that’s been passed down for several decades now, the most recent inhabitant of it being my deceased mother.”
A small gasp comes from Luxtyn as she learns the fate of my mother for the first time. It’s not exactly how I imagined her finding out, but it was bound to come out at some point.
“It’s worth far more than that overly lavish chandelier of yours,” I say, raising my gaze up to the monstrosity above us before settling back on Mancini who looks like he’s about to croak. He covers it up with a laugh before wiping his mouth with his napkin.
“I see. . . well, I just want the best for Luxtyn.”
She gives my hand a firm squeeze, and I can tell by the look in her eyes that she’s trying to silently console me for the death of my mother. It’s a small gesture, but the fact she’s giving it to me means more than she could know.
We all go back to eating, and the rest of the meal goes smoothly, with barely any conversation being had. The tension about our marriage remains stagnant in the air.
“Matteo, come join me for a nightcap, yes?” Mancini asks as we stand from the table.
“Of course,” I say before turning my attention to Luxtyn. I pull her into me and whisper, “Are you okay with Elena and Giuliana while I speak with your father?”
“Yes. Will you ask him if he’s heard anything about my mom though, please?”
“Of course.” I lean down and place a light kiss on her cheek, which causes her to hiss a breath in. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
I follow Mancini to his study where the walls are lined with full bookcases. Closing the door behind me, I track his movements toward a small table that holds a crystal whiskey decanter set. Without glancing back at me, Mancini speaks. “Care for a drink, Matteo?”
He pours the amber liquid in a glass as I say, “Sure.”
Grabbing both glasses, Mancini walks over and hands me one.
“So I see you’ve upheld your part of the contract.” He stands there, swirling his glass in one hand while his other hand is shoved into the pocket of his charcoal slacks. “You haven’t requested I uphold my end of the contract yet.”
“I’ve been busy trying to locate your ex-lover.” He winces upon hearing me describe her that way.
“Too busy to take control of my port?” Angelo tsks me, raising an eyebrow. “Wasn’t that your plan this entire time? Take over the port so you can eliminate Giuseppe’s access to it?”
Yes, but my priorities have shifted a bit.
“Luxtyn agreed to marry me because I promised I would help her find her mother. I’m surprised you wouldn’t think that’s important enough to be my top priority.”
“Of course it’s important. Just make sure you treat my daughter well, Matteo. Because I’ll be here if you don’t.” He takes a sip from his glass, letting his threat hang in the air between us. He’s lucky it regards my wife’s safety, or I’d kill him right now with the gun strapped to the inside of my ankle.
“You have nothing to worry about when it comes to your daughter, Mancini. She’s my wife, and I take care of what’s mine. Very good care.”
His jaw clenches, and I love that I struck a chord with him with my suggestive comment.
“We’ll talk about your port after we find Luxtyn’s mother. Finding her is the priority right now.”
Mancini perks up. “Have you discovered anything of importance in regard to Char’s disappearance?” His dark eyes lighten in anticipation.
I ignore him and walk over to the brown leather couch to take a seat. I hike my foot up, resting it on the opposite knee, and let my arm hang along the back of the couch.
